Fat mums are to blame for ‘surge in number of twins, triplets and quads born’

FAT mums-to-be are to blame for a rise in multiple births, experts claim.

Official data show 11,073 women had twins, triplets or quads in 2015 – up from 10,901 the year before.

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Fat mums-to-be are to blame for a rise in multiple births, experts claimCredit: Getty Images

While mums over 45 are most likely to have a multiple birth – due to higher rates of fertility treatment – their numbers have remained steady.

Instead the rise has been driven by women in their late-20s.

Figures from the Office of National Statistics show 16.1 out of every 1,000 deliveries were multiple births, the highest rate on record.

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Keith Reed, head of Tamba – the Twins And Multiple Births Association – said: “We can speculate that the increase in multiple pregnancies is likely due to emerging trends in fertility practice, but also an increasing number of mums with higher Body Mass Indexes (BMIs).

"Both are known to increase the risk of having a multiple pregnancy.

“With multiples making up 1.6 per cent of pregnancies but accounting for 7 per cent of stillbirths and 14 per cent of neonatal deaths it is clear that more needs to be done.”

Twins and triplets normally have a lower birth weight, a key risk factor in tot deaths.

Nearly half of all expectant mums are too fat, NHS figures show.

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Keith Reed, head of the Twins And Multiple Births Association, said: “The increase in multiple pregnancies is likely due to emerging trends in fertility practice, but also an increasing number of mums with higher Body Mass Indexes"Credit: Getty Images

One in five is classed as obese and another 26 per cent overweight when they turn up for their first maternity appointment.

ONS data also shows women aged between 35 and 39 are most likely to have a home birth.

But the overall proportion has remained steady in recent years – with around 16,000 opting to deliver away from hospital.

We can speculate that the increase in multiple pregnancies is likely due to emerging trends in fertility practice, but also an increasing number of mums with higher Body Mass Indexes

Keith Reed, head of the Twins And Multiple Births Association

Elizabeth McLaren from the Office for National Statistics said: “Since 1993, women aged 45 and over have consistently had the highest proportion of multiple births – partly due to higher levels of assisted fertility treatments at these ages.

“Our figures for 2015 show that the proportion of women having multiple births increased slightly compared with 2014.

"This increase was driven by women aged 25 to 29 since at all other ages the proportion of women having multiple births either decreased or remained unchanged.”